A Girl On Fire Or A Green Eyed Monster?
by Paranoixa
Summary: Ruffnut is often overlooked. All of the other Vikings have made their mark. Even her brother, being the one who started the hand signals. Hiccup doesn't seem to agree. Neither does the thing lurking in the water. OC dragon. Read while listening to Alicia Keys ft Nicki Minaj "Girl On Fire" and Imagine Dragons "Monster".
1. Cliff Diving

**Okay, so I was digging around and found that there weren't too many stories on Ruffnut. And, if you're reading my Miko's Inner Demons arc, you know how much girls being left in the shadows pisses me off. That and I've been... highly active the last week. Enjoy, review, fav, follow, and all that good shit!**

Ruffnut leaned closer to the cliff and glanced at the water, her eyes wide.

The ocean splashed against the sand and left the beaches covered in sea shells, seaweed, and the broken remains of a boat from long ago. The sun was setting and left the water with an orange-like color, sparkling in an unknown beauty. Setting behind it, it was almost at its most perfect form. But not quite where Ruffnut needed it to be. If she jumped a few minutes too early, it wouldnt be ready yet. If she jumped a few minutes too late, she would miss it.

_Here we go, _Ruffnut thought, taking a deep breath. She took off her helmet and placed it beside her. She brought her shirt over her head then pulled down her skirt and leggins and kicked off her boots before sitting them beside her helmet, in nothing but her bra and underwear. The late afternoon wind bit bitterly at her exposed skin and she shivered, partially from the cold and partially from the excitement. As the sun got lower, she began to count, closing her eyes. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30._

Ruffnut inhaled deeply, opened her eyes, and took off to a running start. Her bare feet slammed against the ground with such furosity that they left deep footprints in the soil beneath them. But she didnt stop to marvel at this. She just kept running until her feet left the cliff, gravity pulling her closer and closer to the water. She watched as she got closer and closer, pointing her arms towards the great blue beast. And just as she slammed into the water, the sensation leaving her nerves sizzling, she closed her eyes.

Ruffnut stayed under water for a bit, just watching, looking for something. When it did not come, and her lungs were ready to burst, she resurfaced. Although she was disappointed, she still smiled and watched the sun's millions of particles jumping off of the water. She laughed out loud(**lol**) and laid back against the water, breathing with the current of the waves.

And then something brushed up against her legs.

Quickly, she flipped her body and peered down into the water. Something dark with purple eyes stared at her for about a moment. Then it seemed to noticed that she staring at it and turned around, gone in an instant. Ruffnut, not aware that she'd ran out of oxygen, broke through the surface of the water and watched the water in front of her.

"Wait!" she called, but there was nothing.

Thirty minutes passed. Most would have been in denial. There was no way, they'd say. It was the lack of oxygen to your brain, they'd say. But Ruffnut knew better.  
_Eight times_, she thought. _That's eight times. _Not only did she see it nearly half a dozen time, but this time, she'd seen eyes. Eyes that had seen her. And it had touched her. Touched her with its smooth, cold skin.

Ruffnut took a shaky breath and snapped out of her trance then looked at the sun. It had practically disappeared under the water.

"Late" she hissed, swimming the other way. "I am so late!

. . .

"Ah, Ruffnut" Hiccup said, sarcastically. "Thank you for joining us."  
She just grunted and sat down beside her brother, holding her head down to hide her blush.

"Where have you been" Tuffnut asked. "You've been gone since this morning.

"I was busy" she mumbled, messing with her braid.

"Did you forget" Fishlegs asked. "I stopped by last night."  
"I know, I was busy."

"You cant keep blowing this crap off" Snotlout scolded.

"Because you come to every single meeting on time?"  
"We're a team, Ruffnut. If we have to sit through this stuff, then you do too" Astrid said.

"Well, then maybe you should leave" Ruffnut snapped. Her eyes widened after a second, realizing that she had said that outloud.

Hiccup, along with everyone else, looked at her in surprise. "Um, is everything alright, Ruffnut?"

"Everything is just fine and dandy, Hiccup" she said through gritted teeth, not meeting his eyes.

"Um... okay. Well, we were talking about flying around the Island on each other's dragons."  
"Why?"

"In case something happens, say one of us gets lost and the closest dragon near by is something we're unfamiliar with. We study each other's dragons, we'll learn the habits of their species."  
"Well, I guess that makes sense."  
"Tuff, you've got Meatlug."  
"Alright" he cheered. "Gonna see just how damage that shell can take!"

Fishlegs turned to Hiccup, his eyes wide with horror but he was already moving on.

"Snotlout, you get StormFly."

Astrid looked at her chubby "friend" and smiled evilly. "If you scratch her, I'll break your face."

"Astrid, you and I have Barf and Belch."

Ruff clenched her fist.

"Fishlegs, you have Hookfang."

He turned to Ruffnut. "And you get Toothless."  
Astrid looked at Hiccup with concerned eyes and asked "are you sure that's the right way to go? I mean, what are the chances we'll run into Night Furies."  
"You never know." Then he rolled his eyes. "And you're just jealous you're not the one who gets to give him a spin."

Astrid sighed. "Whatever. I just hope you know what you're doing. Good luck, Ruff."

Ruffnut bit her lip to keep herself from exploding. "Good luck yourself. Those guys can put up quite a fight."

Hiccup clapped his hands. "Alright, guys, we'll be doing this exchange for about a month."  
"WHAT!?"  
"Did you think you were going to get the hang of this is a couple of days?" He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "You'll still be able to use your dragon but during training and missions, you need to go with your assigned dragon. After that, we'll switch until everyone has gotten to know each and every one of these dragons. After that, we'll go on to training the newer ones."

The group of teenagers groaned and mumbled but eventually walked to their new dragons.

"Ruffnut" Hiccup said, walking to her. "I'll show you how to get the kinks with Toothless."  
"Um, okay" she stuttered, her cheeks glowing red as he lead her to the dragon.

. . .

"He's not gonna hurt you" Hiccup laughed, noticing how she kept her distance.

"I know" she said, defensively. "I just... I dunno."  
"Come on." He took her hand, causing fireworks to explode in her head, and placed it on his nose. "See? Friendly."  
"Very friendly."  
"What was that?"  
"Nothing." She looked into Toothless's eyes and took a deep breath.

"You ready?"  
Ruffnut shook her head. "Um, no. Why cant I just get StormFly or something?" Sure she was the dragon of the girl she hated but Toothless was a honking beast. There was no way she'd get used to this arrangement.

"Because I dont think there's anyone else who needs this challenge" Hiccup said, looking at her.

"What do you mean?"  
"Snotlout's got the anger , Fishlegs has the brains, Tuff has the ignorance, and Astrid's got the courage to tame any dragon she comes in contact with with her eyes closed and her hands tied behind her back.

Ruff winced. "So what about me?"

"...You have fire."  
"I do?"  
"Yeah. You just... dont know it yet."  
"Oh. Thank you."

She looked back down at Toothless, her face on fire, as he lifted her onto his back.

Hiccup smiled at her. "Let me know how it goes." And then he was gone.

Ruffnut sighed and looked down at the dragon beneath her. "Well, then."


	2. Bitten

"Let's be nice" Ruffnut said, crawling onto Toothless's back. Toothless snorted and prepared his wings. "How about we go nice and easy, okay?" She kicked her leg against his side and found herself propelling through the air.

Barf and Belch were very lazy dragons so they didnt fly very fast. So flying on Toothless was like coming out of a withdrawal episode. She clung for dear life onto his saddle and shouted "I said nice and easy!"

He made a sound that sounded like laughing and flew faster. And then, out of nowhere, he just stopped. Literally. He fell about eight hundred feet before he drew up, doing spirals.

"What the heck are you doing!?" she screamed.

Toothless suddenly broke left and flew towards the mountains.

"Son of Odin, turn!"  
He obeyed and turned, suddnely flying easily.

Ruffnut panted and clutched her stomach. "Do you do tht with everyone!?"  
He brought his lips up into a smile.

She sighed and looked around her. The other trainers, with their dragons, were heading home.

"You wanna see something, cool" she asked, almost absentmindedly, suddenly turning left.

After she got over her initial fear of him, Ruffnut flew Toothless to the cliff. The sun was set now and it she couldnt see the water. But she'd never flown over the water before. She didnt trust Tuffnut not to ruin the whole experience for her so she couldnt fly Barf and Belch there. And maybe if she hadnt gone there that night, things wouldnt have turned out the way they had. But her curiosity got the best of her. And, as we all know, curiosity crushed the shit out of that cat.

As she brought Toothless closer to the water, she inhaled deeply and let her hand drift in the water. The cool night air made it freezing to the touch but she didnt care. She let her other hand lift off of his saddle and dropped that one in the water. Then her left foot. Then her right. The water was so soothing. So calm. So smooth. So inert.

And then all hell broke loose.

Toothless hissed and turned left, sending Ruffnut tumbling over into the water. She gasped and clawed at the water but Toothless's saddle had come off with her and was dragging her down. She screamed, breathing in water, and tried to resurface. Toothless heard her screams and shot a fireball into the water, searching the water for her. The ball of fire missed her by an inch. But it gave her just enough light to see the dragon.

It was a skinny white dragon with purple spots and a long slithery tail. The paws were huge as well as the head. It's eyes were purple. A memory from earlier shot into Ruffnut's head as she seemed to fall off the Earth's edge. It was a dragon. A _new_ dragon, at that. She stared at it and rose her hand to pet it, slowly. The dragon opened its mouth, revealing a set of small but sharp teeth, and bit her hand. She screamed, so loud that the entire village woke, and brought her hand back. The dragon turned around and swam away. Toothless shot another last desperate fireball into the water just as Ruffnut's body hit the ocean floor. By the time he actually fired a shot in her direction, a figure with pale skin and brown hair was extending a hand out to her.

. . .

"Rufnut...Ruffnut...Ruffnut!"

Hiccup shook Ruffnut's shoulders. "Wake up!"  
She sputtered and spit up more water.

"Give her some space. Ruffnut. Ruffnut, what happened? Why in the name of Odin would you fly over the cliffs!?"  
Ruffnut opened her eyes slowly. Hiccup's hair was dripping wet from jumping in and saving her. Small water drops dripped onto her face. She blinked and stared up at him. This was it. The moment she'd been waiting for. The perfect moment to kiss him. She'd say something so cool and smooth that he'd just HAVE to kiss her. Ruffnut opened her mouth to say the thing that would change her life forever and out came:

"ARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

She wailed and clunched her hand, leaning her head back in agonizing pain. Hiccup stared at her in terrifed confusion before his eyes landed on her hand, the two pin points barely visible if he hadnt seen the black venom oozing from them. "Oh my God, what the hell is that?"  
"ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!"  
"Get me some water and sheets" he ordered. "Ruffnut, what happened?"  
"ARRRGGGHHH!"

He turned to Toothless, who looked undeniably guilty. "What happened?"  
Toothless whimpered and walked over, rubbing his head against Ruffnut's stomach.

"Meatlug" Hiccup said, desperate. "What does this look like?"  
"I dont know" he replied, looking terrifed at this realization. "Some kind of a dragon."  
"Woah" Tuffnut said. "Well, you never did get that battel scar you wanted."  
Ruffnut growled, surprising everyone, and chucked her boot at him.

"Jeez" he stuttered, eyes wide. "What's your problem?"  
Her eyes turned a dark shade of green. "You're my problem" she hissed.

The vikings stared at her in fear. "Um, Ruff-"

"WHAT!?"  
"What...What happened?"  
She clenched her fist and was about to respond when she fainted again.


	3. Venom

Ruffnut opened her eyes and blinked. Her skull was pounding and her throat was on fire. She tried to remember what was happening but came up with nothing. All was a blur. Vaguely, she could recall Hiccup towering over her. And crashing through water. That wasnt much help, though, cause she did that everyday. Ruffnut groaned as another sharp pain rushed to her head.

"What's wrong with me" she muttered.

"**Oh, there's nothing wrong with you**" a voice answered.

Her eyes widening, Ruffnut looked around the room until she found the white dragon sitting at the foot of her bed.  
"What" she asked, confusedly.

"**There's nothing wrong with you**" the dragon repeated. "**Your body's just deciding if it's going to accept my venom.**"  
"You're not real" she slurred. "Dragons...Dragons cant talk."  
"**Of course they cant. You're just hallucinating. From the venom. That means it's reached your brain. That's a good sign. For me, at least.**" Then it cackled.

"Are you going to kill me" Ruffnut asked in a hoarse voice.

The dragon stared at her as if she were crazy. Then it smiled a sick grin. "**Deary, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead by now. No, you'll live. And when your head clears, I need you to do something for me, alright?**"

She nodded, though she was confused. "Yes."  
"**I need you to go back to the Cliffs. Alone, of course. We wouldnt want anyone to know about this, now would we?**"

"Um...No?"  
"**Good. Now, do you have any questions?"**

"Who are you?"  
The dragon frowned. "Ruffnut" it asked in Hiccup's voice. "It's me."  
She blinked and stared. There was no dragon. There was only Hiccup. In her room. Alone. "Hiccup" she asked.

"Yeah. Do you remember me?"  
"Of course. Why wouldnt I?"  
He raised an eyebrow. "The venom's been making you hallucinate. You've been talking nonsense."  
"Nonsense?"  
"Yeah. You said you couldnt tell anybody."  
Her heartbeat quickened. "Tell anybody what?"  
He shrugged. "You wouldnt tell. Dont worry about it, though. It looks like your getting your bearings back, so that's a good sign."  
"A good sign..."  
"Well, mostly anyway."  
"I have to go" Ruffnut said, trying to sit up.

Hiccup shook his head "No, no. You need to rest. That bite nearly killed you. Any sudden movements could cause a potential relaspe."  
She sighed and laid back down.

"Do you need anything?"  
"No" she spat.

His face fell and she instantly regretted it.

"I'm sorry" she apologized. "I didnt mean for it to come out that way. I'm just in a hurry."  
"It's fine. You've been like this since we found you. Kind of angry... Did something happen at the Cliffs?"  
She shook her head, keeping her oath to the white dragon. "No. I was riding Toothless and I guess I slipped."  
"Why were you at the Cliffs?"  
"Shortcut."  
"The Cliffs are dangerous" he warned. "The current's too strong."

_No_, she wanted to argue. She'd been going to the Cliffs for months now and never had she had an incident. Well, until now, but that doesnt count. So she just laid there, letting Hiccup pamper her until his father called for him. And then she sat up. She stared at her gauzed hand and swore she heard the distant voice of the dragon. **"**_**I'm waiting."**_ it seemed to say. Slowly, she began to unwrap the gauze, revealing two small pricks. They were black and one was still oozing venom. Ruffnut brought her hand close to her head and listened. **"Someone's coming."**

Ruff quickly slid her hand under her bedhseet and laid back down.

"Hiccup says you're not crazy anymore" Tuffnut greeted, sitting on her bed.

She shrugged. "So?"  
"Are you?"  
"Maybe a little bit."  
"Well, since you're crazy, that means more work for me. I've been working my hide off for days-"  
"Days?" Something suddenly came to her. "How long was I out?"  
"Eight days. What I wouldnt give to just lie around the house sleeping for a whole week."  
She frowned. "Then why do I feel so lousy?"  
"Cause you almost died like a week ago?"  
**"It's the venom" the dragon answered, reappearing beside Tuffnut. **"**Gosh, if I'd known you were going to be this whiny, I wouldnt have picked you."**

"I'm not whiny" Ruffnut mumbled.

"What?"  
"Nothing."  
**"You need to get to the Cliffs" **it repeated, more urgent this time. **"Get them off you tail for an hour or two."**

"They'd never leave me alone. They rarely do when I am well."  
"Mom!" Tuffnut called. "She's talking to herself again!"  
"Keep your voice down" Ruffnut hissed. "Look, I need a favor."  
"No."  
"You didnt even-"  
"I'm not being bribed by a sick person."

"I'll get you a date."  
He smiled. "I am at your service, milady."

"Alright, so I need to be somewhere but Hiccup's gonna be looking for me."  
"How does this involve me?"  
Ruffnut stood up, her legs shaking. "I need you to be me."

Five minutes later ~

Ruffnut stared at Tuffnut. If you didnt look at him too closely, you couldnt tell he wasnt really his sister. But he was going to be sleeping the whole day, so no one would really stare at him. And even if they did get caught, it wouldnt matter. She just needed to see the dragon.

"Try not to do anything stupid" Tuff mumbled, pulling the covers over his head.

"Whatever" she muttered, tugging at his shirt. "Do you ever wash this stuff?"  
"You're supposed to?"  
"Gross." She rolled her eyes and crawled out the window, pulling her(Tuff's) helmet down over her face. The dragon was right. She was feeling better already. Invincible even.

As she rushed through the woods, she felt amazing. The wind on her skin, the dirt on her bare feet, everything felt amazing. It was like cliff diving, only better. The feeling never had to stop. Ruffnut smiled and pushed herself harder. the dragon would make her feel even better. The thought made her giggle and go even faster. So fast that she didnt even see Astrid until she was barelling right into her.

"Tuff!" she groaned. "What the hell are you doing?"  
Ruffnut shook her head then realized she was talking to her. "Um, nothing" she said in a gruff voice.

She stared at her in confusion. "Your voice sounds funny."  
"Um, I have a cough." She pretended to cough. "Uh, must have caught the crazies from Ruff."  
Astrid rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. I think someone's going through puberty."  
Ruffnut laughed at that. She'd told Tuff the exact same thing.

"Hey, have you seen Hiccup?"  
She stopped laughing. "No. Why?"  
"Uh, he asked me to meet him somewhere."  
She couldnt help herself. "Like...Like an hour ago?"  
"I guess. Yeah. Why?"  
"No reason" she grunted. _"My dad needs me." _Yeah more like_ "I'm gonna go suck face with Astrid."_

"So have you seen him?"  
"Um, yeah, over by the beach."  
She smiled. "Thanks. Oh and tell Ruff to get better."  
"Thanks." Then her eyes widened. "I mean, I will. Tell her. Bye."  
Ruffnut took off running then. Astrid was a nice person. She knew that. But she couldnt help hating her. It seemed like she was trying to come onto Hiccup. Sighing, she pushed these thoughts from her head. The dragon was waiting for her.


	4. Attack

Ruffnut, sitting along the rocks at the bottom of the cliffs, stared at her reflection in the water. Her eyes, which were normally a dark brown or grey color, were a light shade of green. And her skin. The others hadnt realized this but it was kind of scalely. She brought her fingers closer to her face and stared in horror at the claws creeping out of them.

"**Beautiful, isnt it?"**  
Ruffnut turned around and saw the white dragon staring at the water. "What did you do to me?"  
**"I'm not usually out at this time a day" **it continued. **"You know, cant risk being seen. It's quite amazing?"**  
"I said what did you do to me?"  
The dragon laughed and gallopped over to her. **"I just made you better. You're welcome."**  
"You said I wouldnt die."  
**"And you wont. You're body's just going through the early stages of your metamorphosis. You'll be fine."**  
"Fine?" Ruffnut held up her hand. "You call this fine!?" Then she shrank back, startled by her own anger.

**"Oh, dont fret over that" **the dragon advised, noticing her reaction. **"The anger comes as a side effect. You'll learn to control that, as you will with your new body."**  
"Why did you do this to me?"  
**"Oh, Ruffnut. I sensed your pain. You feel overlooked, useless. You needed something to help you along. This will help."**

She scoffed. "And you're so bent on helping me because?"  
**"Alright, there is something in it for me. I am very ill."**  
Her face fell. She hardly knew the dragon but she felt like bawling over the thought of her new friend being ill.

**"Now, now, dont look like that...Ruffnut? I need you to listen to me. Are you listening to me?"**  
She nodded.

**"Alright. I am an X drgaon. I am the last of my kind. When I die, my powers will be passed onto my offspring who will pass them onto hers who will pass them onto hers and so on."**

"I'm your... offspring?"  
**"Yes. You see, we dont reproduce biologically. We used to but a few millnium ago, our ancestors started to die off. There are no more of us, so I cannot mate. And since there is no other species that will accept our bite, that leaves humans. So I came up with the brilliant idea to pass my venom onto humans. One of my elders didnt like that idea because that meant associating with your kind and sent me into exhile when I started testing my idea on humans. Eventually, they all died off from the Red Death. But now."** She smiled wide. **"The humans and dragons get along. So that just made it easier for me to get to humans. You, my dear, are the first to accept my bite."**  
Ruffnut gulped. "You're turning me into a dragon?"  
**"Yes."**  
"But wait, what happens to my body? Will I look like you?"  
She shrugged. **"I dunno, I've never gotten this far before."**

She stared at her hand. "Someone's going to notice."  
**"Yes. I suggest covering up more. And a little word of advice?"**  
"Yes?"  
**"You should probably get back to your house now. They're starting to get suspicious."**  
Ruffnut's head shot up. She looked at the sun and saw it was setting. "Thanks" she muttered, crawling to her feet. Then she froze. "Will I ever see you again?" When she got no reply, she turned around, only to find herself alone.

. . .

"It's about time you got back here" Tuffnut snapped as Ruffnut crawled through their window. "Hiccup got this close to figuring it out."

Ruffnut ignored him and snatched her helmet off of his head and placing it down on hers. Then she walked over to a corner and replaced his clothes with hers that covered every inch of her body.

"Are you alright" Tuff noted as she crawled into her bed.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she be honest,though, her head was pounding again and felt like someone had stuffed it full of sharp rocks. Slyly, she risked a glance at her hand. Her claws were gone. She stared in amazement before a sharp pain rocketed up her spine. Ruff cried out in pain and crashed to the floor. Tuffnut rushed to her side and lifted her into his lap. His lips moved but no words came out. Ruffnut stared in confusion, panting, just as another pain slammed into the side of her head. She leaned her head back and groaned loudly. Slipping in and out of conciousness, she could make out the Dragon Trainers, Gothi, Stoic, and just about everyone in the village crowding in her room. Finally, everything went dark.

. . .

Ruffnut opened her eyes and stared ahead of her. Tuffnut, Meatlug, Astrid, Snotlout, and Hiccup were crowded around her room. And, from the sound of loud snoring, she knew their dragons were probably spending the night here as well.

"Hiccup" she asked, her voice suddenly stronger. Hiccup, curled up against a chair, sat up. His eyes widened.  
"Ruffnut" he said quietly, making his way around the sleeping bodies on the floor. "You're awake."  
"Yeah. What are you guys doing here? It's like one in the morning or something."  
He stared at her in confusion. "You were sick. Really sick."  
"I was?" The white dragon came to her mind suddenly. She looked at her hands and found claws creeping out of her fingertips. She bit her lip and slipped them under her covers, thankful that the candles were just about out.

"Yeah. Tuff said you just started screaming. When I got here, you looked... really bad."

"...Well, I feel fine now." And it was true. She felt amazing.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Kind of hungry, though." Starving, actually.

"Alright, what are you in the mood for?"  
"Mutton."  
Hiccup's eyes met hers. "Mutton?"  
"Yeah."  
"...Are you sure you're alright?"  
"Yes. Why?"  
"Ruff, you're a vegetarian."  
She blinked. "Oh. Yeah."  
"Look, just get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."  
"Tuff said I was out for a week."

"I know. But you're awake now. You can heal."  
Ruffnut laid back against the wall. "I'm tired of being couped up in this house. I feel better when I'm outside and-"  
"Wait, you went outside?"  
She backtracked. "Oh...Um...Yeah."  
"That's not possible. I was here with you for most of the day. And when I wasnt, your parents were."  
Ruffnut invoultunarily glanced at Tuff. He followed her glanced and sighed. "Dont do that again. You could have been hurt."  
"No, I was fine, Hiccup. I actually started feeling bad when I got back here."  
"Yeah but-"  
"You dont know everything" she spat.

"..."

Ruffnut clenched her teeth, sweat popping out on her forehead. Hiccup placed a hand over it and inhaled sharply.

"Ruffnut" he said, calmly. "I need you to calm down."  
She growled and closed her eyes tight, specks of white and purple flashing behind her eyelids. A few minutes passed before she took a shaky breath and opened her eyes. "I'm sorry" she said, tiredly. "I dont know what's wrong with me lately."  
"It's fine. Just try to get some sleep."

Suddenly, sleep sounded lovely. She nodded and the moment her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.

. . .

When she woke up, Ruffnut was vaguely aware of the sound of barn animals baaing in terror and a great chill washing over her. She shivered and reached for her covers. When she found none, she frowned and sat up. "Tuff, I told you to stop taking my..."  
She trailed off when she realized she wasnt in her room. She was outside. In the sheep pen. "What the hell" Ruff asked, crawling to her feet. It was then she smelt it. The overwhelming smell of blood and meat. The smell made her lose her footing and fall backward. The sound of a loud_ squish _brought it to her attention that she had been laying in a pile of dead sheep. And there was blood dripping from her mouth. And blood stuck to her clothes. Ruffnut looked around her and saw the remaining eight, out of fifty four sheep, sheep standing as far away from her as possible. She gasped and hurriedly hopped the fence, only to land in the yak pen. Three out of eighteen remained. She forced her eyes away and proceeded to hop the next fence. She nearly cried out when she found half a chicken, out of twenty six, remained. She almost screamed when she found herself suddenly pouncing on it.

"What is wrong with me" she asked, kicking the half of a chicken away from her, panting heavily. Ruffnut, shaking furiously, hopped the last fence and rushed towards the Cliffs. The sun would rise in a few hours and she needed to be squeaky clean by then.

. . .

"I thought these days were behind us!"  
"You said we could trust them and this happened!"  
"What kind of a monstrosity could do this?"  
"This is all your fault!  
"Those blood sucking monsters have just gave us a death wish!"  
"How will we survive?"  
"Oh, the humanity!"  
"What will we eat?"  
"What will we drink?"  
"What will we do?"  
"I'll tell you what we're going to do, we're gonna behead those beasts!"  
"Yeah!"  
"Everyone, please calm down" Hiccup shouted over the crowd of outraged vikings. "We have it all under control."  
"Do you" Mildew asked. "Cause if this is under control, I'd hate to see what chaos is."  
"No one asked you" Snotlout snapped.

"Look" Astrid said. "We've got patrol groups looking for the monster that did this."  
"And what will you do when you find it, smack it across the wrist?"  
"I'll smack your face" came her bitter reply.

Hiccup turned to Meatlug, his face looking hopelessly lost.

"Alright, everyone" he said, stepping up. "We can restore your lost livestock."  
The vikings quieted down.

"The dragons are out searching for others. We've already got half the animals we lost."  
"How dont we know they wont just strike us again?"  
"We've got a suspect and our Novice Dragon Trainers are searching the island for suspicuous activity. Prodigy Dragon Dragons are forming a plan on what do to if case one of us comes in contact with the beast."

"And what about Ruffnut? Where's she?"  
The Trainers turned to each other. They'd been wondering the same. "She's out with the Novices" Tuffnut explained.  
The vikings started to mutter and disappear. When they did, Hiccup plopped down against the rock they had been standing on. "This is a disaster" he muttered just as his father, who had seen the look pass between the teens, appeared.

"Where is Ruffnut" he asked.

"We dont know" Hiccup answered truthfully.

He sighed and asked a question that had been haunting them all. "Do you think the thing that attacked her attacked the animals?  
"It would make sense" Meatlug replied.

"But it didnt eat Ruff" Snotlout argued.

They all nodded as another idea began to form.

"You dont think she went after it, do you" Astrid asked.

Hiccup sighed. "I sure hope not. It spared her last week. She might not be so lucky this time."

**Special thanks to Jadenpoohbear. Spread the word, dude!**


	5. He Knows

Ruffnut gnawed on the bone of a fish. Her plans of laying low had vanished about five seconds after being formed. She ended up returning to the crime scene and finishing off what she'd started. Then, after realizing what she'd done (again), she panicked and secluded herself in some caves nears the Cliffs, nicknamed Thor's Coves due to the fact that thuder storms tended to occur in the , she curbed her appetite by feeding on fish and basically devouring anything that moved. Even a few slimey eels here and there. Now, she was just eating because there was still some meat clinging onto some of the bones, not because she was hungry.

As the sun began to rise, she began to get her bearings straight and form a hypothesis. During the day, she got sick. She knew from what the others had been saying that she hadnt eaten anything while she'd been sick. For what reason she didnt know, but Ruffnut knew that this dragon forming inside of her wanted her to eat only at night. And at night, it seemed, she was the strongest she'd ever been.

Also the most dangerous.

Ruff sighed and let herself crawl out of the water. After staring the ice along the walls, she nodded and decided she'd gotten all of the blood and animal meat out of her hair and clothes. At least she hoped so. The last thing she needed was someone accusing her of being a cannibal.

. . .

When she returned to the village, she was relieved to find no one eyeing her suspiciously. They just mainly asked her what she thought of this massacre and if she doing alright. She just nodded along with their conversations before eventually drifting away. Afterall, she had dragon training afterall.

"Ruffnut" Hiccup said, almost in relief. "Glad you could make it. Are you-"  
"I'm fine" she said, smiling. "I was just out looking for that dragon."  
"See" Snotlout bragged to Astrid. "I told you!"  
She rolled her eyes and looked at Ruffnut. "You sure you're alright."  
"Just fine and dandy" she muttered, barely able to keep te bitterness out of her voice as she sat down. Since the bite, she'd found herself increasingly growing to dislike Astrid more and more. She had it all, the looks, the brains, the strength, the _courage_, everything. And even Hiccup, from the looks of it. She knew the thought was ridiculous as they had long concluded that that was going nowhere, but she couldnt help it. Along with her new burning hatred for Astrid, she had an extreme case of possessiveness towards Hiccup, even calling him mate a few times in her head.

"Alright" Hiccup said, bringing her out of her thoughts. "So we all know that we have a problem with this dragon."  
"I bet it was Hookfang" Tuffnut laughed. "Didnt you hear, he's rider's a total moron."  
"Can it, Tuff" Snotlout argued. "Hookfang is a very loyal dragon. Arent you my boy?"

Hookfang glanced at Snotlout, hissed and spit lava at him. Snotlout squealed and started to run.

"Have our Novices seen anything" Hiccup asked Meatlug, completley ignoring the frantic cries of terror in the background.

"No" he replied, sounded annoyed. "Are you sure it was a good idea to put them on patrols. No offense, but shouldnt we be out there."  
"Probably. But they need the training. Besides, they've gotta know that we trust them enough with something as big as this."  
"I guess."  
"Has anyone checked the Coves" Astrid asked.

Ruffnut's head snapped up. The newly dead bones would be a dead getaway. "I have" she said, hurriedly. "There's nothing there."  
"Are you sure? Cause we can send some guys in and-"  
"I said there's no one there" she muttered, continuing before anyone could scold her. "Maybe you should check those holes."  
"The ones the Whispering Death made" Meatlug asked, going into a panic. "The ones we got lost and nearly died in? The ones that nearly brought this whole village to the ground?"  
"Yeah, those."  
"We've already checked" Tuffnut answered. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Well have we checked Eel Island" Snotlout asked, half of his shirt fried off.

"Why would we? Dragons-"  
"Not all. Typhoomerangs love them."  
"So?"  
"It looks like whatever attacked us isnt a picky eater. The dragons dont usally go after the yaks cause of all the hair and hooves."  
Hiccup nodded. "Everybody, get to your assigned dragon."  
Everyone groaned but did as they were told.

As Ruffnut made her way over to Toothless, however, she noticed he was growling at her. _Does he know_, she wondered just as he shot a blue ball of fire at her. She ducked out of the way just in time.

"Ruff!" Hiccup rushed to her and examined her. "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"God of Odin, Toothless, what's gotten into you?"  
Toothless shrieked in response and shot another fireball at her before running out of the arena.

"Dont worry" he reassured her. "I'll find him later and calm him down. You can ride with me."  
Ruffnut smiled and headed over her previous dragons. They seemed to welcom her for a minute before taking a sniff and each shooting something at her. Tuff rushed over to calm them but they had already shaken Astrid off of their backs and flown away, as did the other dragons.

"What is going on in here" Stoic asked, walking in and noticing the bewildered expressions on their faces.

"Nothing" Hiccup said, quickly. "Um, the dragons are just searching the island for more animals."  
He frowned his who-are-you-kidding frown. Hiccup returned it with a we'll-talk-about-this-later look. Eventually he let it drop. "I need someone to watch after the animal pens tonight" he said.

"Okay" Hiccup replied, relieved. "Um, Ruff, how about you take it-"  
"I have a thing."  
Everyone turned to her. "A thing?"  
"Yeah. Sorry."  
"Astrid?"  
She shrugged. "Sure thing, chief."  
Stoic nodded, sent Ruffnut a suspicious look, and disappered.

"Guys, why dont you go and look for the dragons" Hiccup said. "Ruff, you're with me."

She nodded, though inside she was emotionally conflicted. On one hand, Hiccup was most likely catching on to her (more than usual) weirdness. On the other hand, she and Hiccup were going to be alone. She bit her lip and followed him towards the forest.

. . .

"Alright" Hiccup said, stubbornly crossing his arms as he leaned against a tree. "You know something."

"I dont know what you're talking about" she muttered, kicking a rock.

"Ruffnut, we lost ninety three percent of our livestock in one night. That's almost twice as the worst night we've had when they were still attacking us."  
"How does this involve me."  
"...Ruffnut, you disappeared right before the attack. And the dragons are mad at you-"  
"It's the eel" she said without thinking.

His eyes widened. "Eel?"  
"Rats."  
"What eel?"  
"Hey, it that a bird?"  
"Ruffnut" he said impatiently.

"Fine. I had some eel for breakfast."

"But you hate eel."  
"Yeah, I used to, but now I kind of like it."  
"...What's going on with you, Ruff. You've been acting so weird."

"It's nothing, really. You're reading too much into this."  
"Why didnt you want us to go to the Coves?"  
She looked away. "I never said-"  
"Yeah, but you implied it. Ruff, if you know something, you can tell me."  
She stared at him. The dragon in her whimpered softly. Oh, how she wanted to tell him. Everything would be so much easier if-

"Your eyes" Hiccup interuppted. "They're green."  
She sighed. "Hiccup, it's better if you dont know."

"Dont know what? You're really starting to freak me out."  
"And you're really starting to annoy me. Okay, my eyes are green and I have a strange appetite. So what?"  
"It's the dragon, isnt it" he asked. "The bite. That venom. It did something to you."  
"No, it didnt. I'm fine!"

"No, you're not. Stop pretending like you are!"  
"Who's pretending!"  
"You are! You think I dont know, but I do. Whatever that dragon did, it's making you delusional, making you cover up for it or something."  
She laughed a bitter sweet laugh. "It's almost funny how wrong you are."  
He sighed heavily and put a hand on her shoulder. "You're shaking."  
Tears streaming down her face, she shook her head. "Just leave me alone."  
"Tell me. Tell me what's going on."  
Ruffnut looked down, sobbing softly.

"You can trust me. Whatever's wrong, I wont tell anyone."  
She wiped her eyes and whispered "promise?"  
"I swear on Odin's head."  
She met his eyes and said "dont freak out."  
He nodded.

Ruffnut took a deep breath and, ignoring the faint whipser of a stranger in the back of her head, revealed her clawed hands. Hiccup stared in confusion and watched as she rolled her sleeve up to reveal scaley skin. Then she took off her helmet and out popped two ears on the top of her head. Behind her, there was a tail.

"It turned me into a dragon" she whispered.

**Stop talking.**

Ruff shook her head and continued. "I didnt mean to hurt the animals. I didnt even know what I was doing until it was too late."

"Hiccup, I'm not a monster. I'm trying, I really am, but I cant help it. I just get so angry."  
**You're going to ruin everything.**

"This is... This is real" Hiccup said, taking her hand. "You killed the livestock."  
She nodded sadly.  
"Look, that was not your fault" he said, still taking in her experience. "It's this dragon...Where is it?"  
"I dont know. It disappeared."  
"So you're... stuck like this?"  
"Yeah. It said it had to pass on it's powers and the only way to do that was to give me the bite and since I survived that, I have to and I-"  
"Calm down." Hiccup took her face in his hands. "It's alright. It's alright. You're gonna be fine."  
"No, I'm not. I could kill the animals again. I could hurt somebody. I could eat you."  
He cringed.

"I have to leave" she whispered. "I'm a danger to everyone."  
**SHUT UP, YOU'RE RUINING EVERYTHING I'VE WORKED FOR!**  
"No, you're not. You're just a little sick."  
"No, Hiccup, it's more than that!" She was screaming now, her eyes dangerous."Why do you believe me? You cant trust me. I'm just as bad as the old dragons. I could kill you in an instant!"She wanted to stop, but she couldnt. This fact just made her furious."You have to let me go. I cant stay here. You cant-"  
Ruffnut was cut off when Hiccup's lips met hers. Her eyes widened for a moment before it finally processed in her brain. Hiccup was kissing her. She let herself melt into the kiss and closed her eyes. It seemed like centuries had passed before they broke apart for air.

"I'm not letting you go" Hiccup whispered.

Ruffnut buried her face in his chest. "You dont want me to stay here. You'd be better off kissing the Whispering Death."  
"The Whispering Death isnt as pretty as you are."  
She sighed and felt his arms wrap around her.

"Dont worry. We're gonna fix you up."  
**Special thanks to Sendo25. Reccomend to other people if you like this story. Check my other ones too!**


	6. Busted

"What's wrong with her?"  
Hiccup froze, his foot on the first step. "Dang it."  
"Son." Stoic approached him. "Does Ruffnut know something?"  
"Um, she knows a lot of things. You know how to milk a yak, how to fly a dragon. The usual."  
He crossed his arms.  
"Okay, she _might_ know something but I'm not sure yet. Honestly."

He looked at him, obviously not convinced.

"Dad, the moment I find something, I'll tell you" Hiccup pleaded.

"There's word going around the village that she's been acting weird. Eating stange foods, disapearing for hours. Hiccup, the dragons are _attacking_ her."  
"Yes, yes, I know. But, come on. Hookfang attacks Snotlout all the time and you dont say anything about that."  
"He's his father's son" Stoic argued. "_I'd_ attack him."  
Hiccup groaned and said "just trust me on this. I'll figure it out. You know, one of these days, I'm gonna be cheif. You're supposed to trust your cheif. I have never felt so berated."  
"You wont be cheif for another five years and stop changing the subject." He ran a hand over his face."You will be the cheif. You know that. Which means you also knwo you have to do anything to protect this village. Even if it means betrayign yuor friends."  
Hiccup blinked. "There's no reason for me to betray anyone. Ruffnut is perfectly fine, the same person she's been for the past fourteen years."

Stoic raised an eyebrow. "Really?"  
"Really."  
The two continued to watch each other, each looking for a weakness, before his father sighed. "Alright" he said.

Hiccup smiled. "Thank you. I'm sure she's-"  
"But I'm going to need you to conduct a night watch."  
"What?"  
"They've been striking at night. You can catch them then. And, in case you're not as right about her as you think you are, you'll be able to catch Ruffnut."

Hiccup laughed nervously. "What, you think Ruffnut is behind all of this?"  
"I didnt say that" Stoic said, shaking his head. "But I do think she's involved in this somehow."  
"Dad, no offense or anything, but what would a fourteen year old girl want with a year's worth of life-stock?"  
He smiled. "That's what you're going to find out."  
"Fine. But, honestly, there's nothing to see."  
"STOIC! STOIC!"

They turned to the door just as Gobber burst through the door, his face paralyzed with fear. "You might wanna come take a look at this."  
Stoic turned to Hiccup, a look in his eye, before he rushed after his friend.

Hiccup stood there for a moment before Astrid knocked on his window. "It's Ruffnut" she said in a hoarse voice.

He gulped. "What do you mean?"  
"She...She's the one that's been stealing the cattle."  
"How...How do you know?"  
"She's stealing some right now!"

He sighed and said "take me to her."

. . .

Ruffnut panted and rushed through the forest, the entire village on her tail. She glanced down at her hands and found them coated in blood. "Idiot" she cursed herself before she felt wings sprout from her back and her feet turn into paws.

"Ruffnut!" Stoic cried. "Come back here!"  
"Go away" she growled, surprised by the gruffness in her voice. She shook it off though and pushed herself farther. Red gripped the edges of her eyes and her heart pounded in her ears. Choking back a sob, she asked "what have I done?" just as a net slammed into her and forced her body against a tree. Ruff hissed and clawed at the rope, tears crippling her vision. In her frenzied state, she was barely able to make out the sound of Toothless screeching.

Barely.

She screeched back and shocked the villagers crowding around her by shooting a green ball of fire in his direction. Toothless dodged the attack and dove towards her. Ruffnut snarled and finally ripped the net apart.

"Ruff" Tuffnut said, his eyes terrifed. The fear in his voice caused her eyes to soften for a moment. Then she gave the villagers one last body shaking roar before fully transforming and taking off into the air.

**Special thanks to Vented567, Keiri DeLaCruz, alleka, and starkiller91. I honestly find it amazing that people are actually liking this.**


	7. Gothi

Ruffnut leaned closer to the cliff and glanced at the water, her eyes wide.

Her claws dug into the rough soil, trying to persuade her to leave. Her humanity was gone, the distant memory of a stranger. But she remembered this place. The Cliffs. A place she has been forbidden to go to. And yet she had. And then something happened. Something she couldnt remember. But something that changed the course of her destiny forever.

Ruffnut growled in frustration. She was so confused. Nothing made sense. Nothing was familiar. Everything was a blur, a crazed and unknown blur.

**"You should not be here."**

Slowly, she turned to face the white dragon.

**"They'll be here soon, my pet. They're tracking you. And they want you in a cage."**  
She blinked, not understanding.

**"We must leave now. There isnt much time left."**  
Something told Ruffnut that everything was about to change. That she was about to leave everything she ever knew behind. The fact that she didnt know what that was infuriated her.

**"We will build a new life"** the dragon continued. **"A better, more evolved life. With civilized beings who will not fret over a new species."**  
She focused her eyes on the village. She instantly felt an emotional connection. "**Home**" she said.

The white dragon smiled sinisterly. **"Your transformation is just about complete, my pet. Why do you wish to return to those beneath you?"**  
Ruffnut closed her eyes softly. Something...someone. Was waiting for her. Was begging for her to come home. She inhaled sharply and connetrated on the emotional pull from the village. Five strange beings came from some place deep in her memory. Most she had conflict with. But she did care for them. And she couldnt leave.

Not without saying goodbye at least.

"**Home**" she repeated.

Her companion sighed. "**Very well then. You may return. But not for long. We must leave quickly if things are to go as planned."**  
Ruffnut nodded before propelling herself off the cliff and soaring through the air.

. . .

Ruffnut had become public enemy number one. Everyone had been ordered to kill on sight should they come in contact with her. The livestock had been forced into the Grand Hall. The whole village was on alert. Stoic was considering calling in help from their neighboring villages.

Very few vikings were looking forward to the end where Ruffnut could come home safe and sound.

"We have to get out there" Tuffnut said as Gobber led a mob for Ruffnut. "We cant just let them kill her."  
"What can we do" Snotlout asked. "Hiccup's dad's put the entire village on lockdown. There's not much in our hands."  
"We've been on lockdown plenty of times before" he argued. "And we've never gave that any mind. You're just scared of Ruff."  
"Everyone's scared" Meatlug said quietly.

"So that's it then" Tuff snapped. "We're just giving up?"  
"Tuff, you have to be realistic. In the odd chance that we do find Ruff before anyone else, what are we going to do? Slap her on the wrist and hide her in the arena? We have to face the facts: Ruffnut is not Ruffnut anymore. She is a ruthless dragon who needs to eat."  
"You know that's not true. She is our friend. We have to protect her."  
"How? This is just as hard on you as it is on the rest of us. But if we're gonna do anything, we have to be prepared. And we're not" Astrid rationalized.  
Tuffnut closed his eyes and sat down.

"I think we could pull it off" Snotlout spoke up cautiously. "We just need to know what we're heading into."  
"The only one who knows what's going on is Hiccup, and his dad wont let him out of the house. And even he doesnt know all of what's happening."  
"There is one person who might know" Meatlug inputed.

Everyone turned to him, confused. A couple seconds passed before realization dawned on their faces.

"Alright" Astrid said. "So we're doing this."  
Tuffnut crossed his arms. "We need Hiccup. He'll know what we're getting ourselves into."

"We'll need a diversion."  
Snotlout smiled. "I think I can manage that."

. . .

The villagers were on her tail.

Ruffnut had dropped down in the Town Square, ready to just stroll around for a bit, when they came after her. Most had torches, others had devices that looked like they could kill something just from their looks. She hadnt stay around to watch. She'd rushed into the woods, shooting fireballs at trees to slow them down. Over time, she'd managed to get a good eighty seven percent of Berk after her. She couldnt even fly because one of the contraptions had wrapped its way around her.

She was grounded, with no sense of direction.

Just as she was about to give up and fall out, Ruffnut heard a whistle. She turned to her left and found an elderly women leaning across a cane in a bush. She motioned with the cane for her to come closer. For a moment, Ruffnut considered ignoring the woman. But then she heard the cries of the mob and decided against it. She dove into the bush just as the mob was hopping over the tree she'd fallen.

After the vikings passed, the old woman started walking. Seeing that she had no other choice, Ruffnut followed her. The two eventually came to a secluded cave. Along the walls of the inside were bowls of strange items and brews and food. The woman reached into the bowls and pulled out some roots, berries, and something that smelled like rotten fish guts. She then placed them into a bowl and ground them together. When it was smooth enough, she looked up an met Ruffnut's eyes, smiling softly. Slowly, she reached out and took her paw. With her other hand, the old woman began to slather the mixture over it. When the bowl was empty, she held up a hand and walked into a deeper part of the cave.

The effect was immidiate. Ruffnut stumbled softly before eventually crashing to the ground. Her skin was crawling and stretching. She whimpered in pain as the darkness around her became darker. She was barely aware of something soft being laid over her.

. . .

Hiccup laid across his bed, staring at the ceiling. There wasnt much for him to do. There were guards in every section of his house. Even in the bathroom. He hated being trapped, but his father was convinced this was paramount for his safety. He figured if he kept him monitored all day, he'd be able to keep this whole situation in his hands. Stoic didnt consider the fact that maybe he could help. He'd known about Ruffnut's condition long before anyone else. He knew more about taming dragons than anyone else.  
But most importantly, he knew more about Ruff more than anyone else.

But no one was considering that. Nope. So there he was, lying across his bed, doing nothing to help anyone, when someone suddenly screamed. It was high pitched and girly and terrified. For the first time that day, Hiccup sat up. "Snotlout?"  
A spray of lava shot across his window, inches away from melting it. The guards rushed out of his room in a moment's notice. No one bothered to tell him to stay put.

Smiling, he walked over to the window and peered out. Hookfang was "chasing" Snotlout around the courtyard. When the two lead the guards away from the scene, Toothless revealed himself from behind a barrel of wool.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and hopped out of the window, landing on the black dragon. On his saddle was a sheet of paper. He unwrapped the string and laid it down against the saddle:

_We're going to get your girlfriend. Meet us at Gothi's._

Hiccup sighed in relief. Gothi. Of course! If anyone were to know about this dragon, it'd be her. "Come on, boy" he said, arching his foot up. "We're going to find Ruffnut."  
. . .

"Gothi?" Astrid pushed past the vines covering the enterance to the cave. "Gothi? We need to talk to you."  
Snotlout groaned. "What if she's not here?"  
"She has to be" Meatlug answered. "Remember, lockdown?"  
"We're not in our houses" Tuffnut noted.

"That doesnt count." Then he froze. "Gothi?"  
The old woman smiled and stepped out of the shadows, just as Hiccup and Toothless flew in.

"We need your help" Astrid said. "It's about Ruffnut."  
Gothi nodded.

"Have you seen her?"  
She nodded again.

"Well, where is she" Hiccup asked. "We have to get to her before Gobber and my dad do."  
Gothi waved her cane before motioning it to the sleeping figure of Ruffnut.


	8. Lost

When Ruffnut woke up, she didnt know where she was. Just that it was dark. And it was cold.

And she was scared.

The day's events then came rushing back upon her. She could remember the aching pain in her belly. The temptation to pounce on anything alive. The overwhelming presence of the livestock. Ruff had hopped over the fence, mouth watering and claws drawn._ I'll just take one chicken_, she'd decided. She hadnt realized Gobber had been watching the animals until he suddenly called out for the other vikings.

Everything after that was kind of fuzzy, flashes of her running away and talking to the white dragon.

At the thought of the white dragon, Ruffnut started panting. She hated that dragon, hated it with the burning passion of everything she'd ever hated before. It had ruined her life, then rationalized that it had to be done to save it's species. The destruction of it's species had nothing to do with her. She hadnt asked for it, hadnt asked for any of this. Ruff squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fist. She was letting her anger get the best of her again. She couldnt let that happen. But she wanted so badly to make the dragon feel her pain, to put it through the same torture it had put her through. The humiliation of having your whole village, the people you grew up with, the people you grew up looking up to, turn against you in an instant.

"Ruffnut?"  
Ruff looked up and found Hiccup staring down at her. She opened her mouth to say something, but discovered she couldn't get the right words together. What would she say? "I'm sorry for eating all of our cattle and dooming our village into an inevitable starvation"? At that thought, she looked away, tears forming in her eyes.

"It's okay" Hiccup whispered. "You're safe. We're gonna make sure of it."  
She shook her head. "But you're not. Not as long as you stay here. And what do you mean 'we'?"  
"The whole gang's here. Making sure no one comes to close"

Ruffnut froze. "They are?"  
"Well, you didnt think we were just gonna let them hunt you down, did you?"

She looked deep into his eyes, seeing the tiredness in them. "Have you gotten any sleep lately?"  
"Have you?"

"Not really" she admitted. "Dont trust myself to. You?"  
"I'm just worried something'll happen if I do, and I wont be able to stop them if they find you."  
"You said it yourself, the whole gang's here. If anything happens, they'll warn us."  
Hiccup frowned stubbornly. "I'll go to sleep when this is all over."  
"Hiccup" Ruffnut started. "Dont you get it? This will never be over. This thing changed me."  
"We cant stop it. We'll find a way."  
"I'm losing myself" she said, needing for him to understand. "I...I cant tell where it's thoughts end and mine begin. "  
"Gothi will help you. She has to."  
"And what if she cant? What are you gonna do, keep me locked up in the arena? I'm changing, Hiccup, every second of every day. And it hurts because...everyone knows it. Everyone knows I'm a monster, and I-"  
"Stop it."  
"I'm afraid I'm gonna slip up. If I stop fighting, even for one second, I'm going to kill everyone."  
"Ruffnut-"  
"Dont lie to me" she whispered, slowly inching away from him. "You've seen what I've done. If I can do that to the animals, what's gonna stop me from moving onto you guys?"  
"I know you, Ruff. And you would never hurt us."  
She shook her head. "I'm not me anymore. I'm just some mindless beast that has no regard for others."  
Hiccup crawled closer to her and cupped her cheek with his hand. "You dont believe that."  
"I dont?" She pushed him away and showed him her blood-coated claws. "Then what is this, Hiccup? Please tell me. Because I dont know."  
His shoulders slumped. "Ruff-"  
"Dont. Please just...dont."

Hiccup watched as she began to curl herself into a ball. He knew he couldnt get her to see the good in her. So he had to start somewhere else. Where it all began.

He eased closer to her again. "You remember when we still killed the dragons?"  
She nodded, sniffling.

"And no one believed that we could ever make peace with them?"  
"Yeah."  
"The same goes for you. You're right; you are...a beast."  
She winced.

"But you can make peace with that beast. Hiding from it is not going to accomplish anything. It's either going to grow stronger or kill the both of you from fighting with you."  
She stared at him through blurry eyes.

"I tamed Toothless" he said with determination. "We tamed the dragons. You have to tame yourself."  
"What if I cant?"  
"You have to try."  
Ruffnut risked a glance down at her hands, and found the claws retreating. When she looked up, she found Hiccup had gotten closer to her. Hesistantly, she leaned into his side and inhaled deeply. "Thank you."  
He smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"There she is!"

The sound of feet thumping against the ground exploded in the cave before Gobber slammed into Ruffnut and pinned her to the ground.

Hiccup looked up and found his friends in the same position. Seconds later, he was lifted off the ground and thrown over his father's shoulder. "Dad!"  
"You shouldnt be here" Stoic said stubbornly.

"Dad, she's not a monster!"  
He stared at his son in disbelief. "I know you think she's your friend. But you have to realize that she's too far gone to be saved."  
He then turned to the angry mob of villagers. "Vikings!" he cried. "We have found her!"  
The group of people rose their weapons in relief.

Hiccup turned to Astrid before they all were seperated.  
"They snuck up on us" she explained. "Didnt even see them coming."  
"Gothi" he asked. "Where is she?"  
"We dont know. She took off."

The two exchanged a look before being lead away from each other by their families.


	9. Astrid

_Yeah, I had to redo this chapter._

**"You should have left when you had the chance."**  
Ruffnut winced and tugged at her shackles. "I had to see them" she said softly. "Just one last time."  
**"And you paid for it with our life. How do you expect us to survive if we cannot-"**  
"Where's all this 'we' coming from? We? There is no we. There's me and then there's you."  
"We are the last of our species" it continued.

"No. No, I'm not like you."  
**"My pet. My sweet, stupid little pet. Has that boy gotten to you? Is that the problem. You wish to bring your mate along with us? Very well then. I will-"**  
"Dont you touch him" Ruffnut screeched. Then she closed her eyes, breathing heavily. "No, no, no."  
"**Yes..."**It slithered and wrapped itself around her. **"Yes. Embrace it, do not fight against it. It will only bring you pain."**  
"I dont want to...**hurt anybody**" she whispered, eyes flashing from brown to green.

**"Oh, but you must. How will you survive otherwise?"** It chuckled darkly when it saw her claws and fangs creeping out. **"I knew you were the right one, from the moment I saw you. Waiting was unbearable, believe me it was. All those years, watching you, waiting for the right moment. You felt it too, didnt you? Felt the pull to the Cliffs, even when they told you not to go, you still went."**  
"Shut up."  
**"Your people tried to help, and you betrayed them. Doomed them to starvation! Oh, how wonderful."**  
**"Shut up!"** Ruff walked as far away as she could and held her hands over her ears. "You're not real" she growled. "You are **not** real!"

**"Oh, but I am. I always have been. Every time you thought you saw something, every time you thought you heard something, I was there. I have always been here. And I always will be. After we destroy this cursed village of course."**  
She fell to the ground, the urge to hunt overwhelming her. "**I hate you."**

The white dragon smiled evilly before reappearing behind her. It leaned in close and whispered into her ear "**why must you fight it? Don't you want the power?"**

The words slipped out before she could do anything about it. **"Yes."**

**"Then you must accept that this is what you are. And that this is what we do."  
**"**And by this you mean killing everything that moves" **Ruffnut hissed.

It simply shook it's head disappointedly and flicked its sharp tongue across her neck. **"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You will learn in due time, my dear pet. This is a gift, a blessing. Do you know that many have died attempting to become what we are? You should be grateful."  
"You've taken my humanity from me, you've turned my village against me, you made me kill all those animals, you ruined my one chance with Hiccup... And I should be grateful for that?"  
"Yes." **It sighed impatiently. **"Honestly, your kind is so dramatic. You wont need them. They were holding you back anyway."  
"They were my family."  
"I am your family."  
"You are my corruptor!**" She held up her scaley and clawed hand. **"I do not want this!" **

The dragon growled. **"The decision is not yours. It is your destiny."  
"My destiny? My destiny is for me to decide. Not you."  
"And if that were true, then what? Would you go back to your village and expect them to welcome you with open arms?"  
**It smiled when she did not answer. **"You said it yourself. They've turned against you. Oh, come on now, don't look so sad. It was bound to happen sooner or later. We all know they never liked you, anyway. Did they?"**

Ruffnut swayed on her feet. **"No, they never did."**

"**Always doubting you, berating you, lying to you. Even that young boy that you fancy. He says he doesn't believe you're a monster, that there's still something left to salvage from you. But we, along with everyone else, know what you are."**

She shook her head. "I'm not a monster."

The dragon just stared.

"I'm not" she insisted. "I just need to figure out how to control this. And don't tell me there isn't a way to because I know there is. There has to be."  
"Ruffnut?"  
"I can control this" she continued. "I know I can."  
"Ruffnut!"  
"If anyone can do this, it's me."  
"Ruff!"  
Ruffnut looked up from her shackles and peered out the bars of her cell. "Astrid?"  
Astrid sighed in relief. "You're okay."  
"Not really, but what are you doing here?"  
"Busting you out of here" she muttered and reached behind her back, revealing a crowbar.

"You cant do that."  
"And why is that?"  
"Because...it wouldn't be safe. I'd just hurt everybody."  
"Ruff, I've known you for years. You would never intentionally hurt someone."  
"Yeah, well in case you haven't noticed, I haven't been me these last couple of days."  
Astrid paused her work on the cage to look at the sullen creature. "If you don't leave right now, you are going to spend the rest of your life wasting away in a cell like this."  
"And maybe I deserve that."  
She frowned. "There's going to be a trial tomorrow. And, from what I've been hearing, they're aiming to either behead you or ship you off to some prison island."  
_**Then it's about time we leave.**_

"**If I leave." **She squeezed her eyes shut. "If I leave...this dragon's gonna have complete control over me."  
"You're stronger than that, Ruff. I know you are. You would never let anyone have any control over you."  
"Yeah, but... half the time, I don't even know it's the dragon talking. I'm slowly flickering away, and I don't even know it."  
Astrid smiled a small, sad smile. "I know. But it's your only chance." She bent the crowbar and rose the cage enough, so she could crawl under. "Run away. Hide out on Eel Island. We'll handle things over here, and when everything dies down, we'll come to get you."  
Ruffnut crawled under the cage. "And if they don't?"  
"...We'll send one of us to check up on you once a week." Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around Ruffnut's neck. "We're not going to lose you, Ruff." She sighed then. "And I know this may not be the best time, but I know you like Hiccup. And I know you don't like that I'm so close to him. But there is nothing going on between us. And, when things clear up, I hope you guys can maybe work something out."  
Ruffnut pulled away and stared at her. Maybe Astrid wasn't so bad after all. She squared her feet and prepared to take off into the air. "Tell Tuff I'm sorry."  
And then she was gone.


	10. AN: Sorry, guys!

**(Seriously, dont even bother to read this. It's just me rambling. Basically, story's over. Yeah, I am not a reliable FF writer...)**

** So... You guys are gonna hate me for this but, uh, yeah...That's it. I think you can pretty much fill in the blanks from here. Now I could go on and say that this ending is my way of being a GENIUS writer, which I am not dont even argue with me on this I hate accepting compliments, but in reality I've run out of inspiration. Maybe in some distant future I'll pick this up again and rewrite it. Or maybe not. Anyway, as always, stor'ys up for adoption. Pm or review me and make sure to give me the credit. Or dont 'cause this story is actually kind of a disappointment. **

**Anyway, bye!**


End file.
